The Powerful Force Known as Fate
by hopelessblues
Summary: Lucy just got a new collaboration piece with her BFF, Levy. They were going to write an article about Gray Fullbuster but, something was strange about this job. Strange occurrences were happening and it was all caused by,*gasp* fate? Rated T for safety
1. The Thread of Fate and a Broken Promise

~Thread of Fate

~hopelessblues

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Sorry about that lame summary. This is my first story so, please take care of me! *bows*  
I'm writing this to honor one of my favorite couples GraLu!

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Here's the story!

[Lucy's POV]

"Hmmm... I wonder when we will get there." I said as I was admiring the beautiful scenery. I'm an independent writer, so I usually move around to different places. This time I was going to work on an article in the Weekly Sorcerer with my old friend Levy, who was with me on the train.

"Don't worry Lu-chan, we're almost there and we will be staying in a hotel, Erza made arrangements for us." she said as she sipped some tea.

I was now facing her when suddenly I felt the urge to ask something, "I was wondering Levy-chan, who will be taking the cover this time?"

"Oh you still don't know Lucy? Erza said he was Gray Fullbuster, built his own business, multi-millionaire and resident playboy." Levy said as she was reading a couple of documents. When Levy finished her sentence, I cringed at the last word PLAYBOY. I hated playboys, considering that my ex was one.

"Can I see his picture, Levy-chan?" I asked.

"Sure here you g-" the picture suddenly flew away from Levy's hand; it flew away escaping in a nearby open window.

"What just happened?" a shiver just went up my spine, thinking of it as a way of fate telling me something.

Levy just winked at me and said, "Don't worry Lucy; I'll let you know if I see him." I was surprised that Levy was able to shrug the accident off, but my mind kept bugging me about it.

As soon as we arrived in Hargeon, it was already dark and I was struggling to keep myself awake. My eyes were slowly dropping; the last thing I heard was Levy screaming. After that I blacked out, while I was out I smelled the scent of Irises.

I dreamed that I was in the middle of a field of Irises; there was a boy in the middle of the field. The boy had raven hair; I couldn't see his face because his back was turned.

After a long silence the boy spoke, "Do you remember our promise?"

Since I was confused I could only say, "Huh? Who are you?"

"Lucy, I promised you that I would take you away from there." the boy replied. I was shocked that he knew my name.

The name or perhaps the entire existence of the little boy was vague to me, yet I felt a throbbing in my chest.

When the boy was about to turn around, petals of irises covered up the scene.

I sat up in surprise, realized it was all a dream. "So close..." I muttered to myself, clenching my chest. The throbbing didn't seem to stop. I stared at the clock, "It's already 9' in the morning?" I thought to myself.

"Lu-chan, you're awake?" Levy said as she was rubbing her eyes.

"Uhn~ yeah." I answered while I was going out of bed, suddenly a question popped up my head.

"Levy-chan was it you who carried me all the way until here?"

"Oh no, I'm really not physically capable of carrying you." she admitted it as she was giggling.

"Who was it then?"

"U-um Lucy, the man who carried you he was wearing a hoodie of some sort so I couldn't see his face. He was also silent the whole time..."

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[Flashback: Levy's POV]

"Lu-chan!" I screamed as I looked at my friend's body on the floor of the station. I tried to carry her but I guess I'm not that strong. I was hopeless, when suddenly a man that was wearing a green hoodie appeared before me. He asked me where to go so, I told him to follow my directions, which he did. While walking I noticed his body was well built, judging from the fit of the jacket. When we were in Lucy's hotel room, he just laid her down on her bed. He quietly went to the door, making a farewell gesture. I asked him for his name, but he didn't reply. As he walked away, I noticed the faint smell of Irises.

[End of flashback]

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"Oh, it's okay." I then headed towards the bathroom, turning on the shower.

"Lu-chan, I'm going out for a while. I'll be back by 7' PM."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to meet with a publisher, remember?"

"Oh, I forgot about that. Okay then, bye!"

"Bye, Lu-chan!" the bluenette said as she waved her hand.

After Levy left I figured I could use a walk around town.

As I walked around the park I saw an unusual crowd of women. I decided it was best for me not to meddle in other people's business, but suddenly the women began to shriek their hearts out. Even I couldn't resist the urge to see what was going on.

When I asked someone in the crowd, "The Ice Prince is here! Kya~" When I asked other women but she said the same thing. I thought of it as pathetic, they got all worked-up because of some "Ice Prince".

But suddenly the shrieking grew louder. A figure formed by the door, a handsome man was there. His raven-colored hair, his ocean blue eyes, his perfectly toned body, he was practically shining! He wore shades, a dark blue jacket, fashionable pants and a plain white tee. When the man stepped out the door, the crowd of ladies trampled over me, it was like a charging herd of buffalos, only this time they were in heels. I almost tripped, luckily a person caught me, when I looked up it was the "Ice Prince".

The herd of women gasped in horror and shock, I felt angry glares at me. The "Ice Prince" noticed this uneasy killing aura the women had so; he grabbed my arm and started running.

An angry mob of fangirls were after us, which of course, caused me to keep at par with him no matter what. I didn't want to be ripped to shreds...

He led me to an alley and was signalling me to stay there. When the mob was nowhere to be seen, he suddenly leaned nearer to me and pressed me against a wall. I was growing redder by the second.

"Shouldn't a knight in shining armour get a reward for saving the damsel in distress?" he said in a cool and straight face. I couldn't believe that the PRINCE everyone knew, was a totally flirty douche bag!

"A kiss maybe?" he added in a playful tone. This made my blood boil in anger; this playboy was getting over his head!

I was stopping him from getting near me, yet he overpowered me. He clasped both my hands above my head. I was stuck and was in desperate need of a real knight!

He was only an inch short from kissing me when his phone rang. He looked at his phone and sighed.

He released his grip on me and said "Sorry princess, this will have to do, for now." he suddenly grabbed my waist and pulled it close, kissing me on my forehead. I suddenly felt intense heat up my face. He then left, leaving me in the alley confused.

When I snapped out of it, I looked at my watch and saw that it was quarter to 8 in the evening. "Levy must be back by now." I murmured to myself.

Figuring out where the hell I am, I started to head home on a carriage, since I was tired from all that running earlier.

While I was on the carriage I looked out the window to see Hargeon enveloped in beautiful lights. The scenery was breath taking. I wondered about the prince's resemblance to a person I knew before, I was also curious about his name. My thoughts were all wrapped around him. Once I realized it, I told myself "Don't fall for his tricks Lucy."

_time moved on..._

"Where have you been Lu-chan! I was worried about you!" Levy scolded.

I was about to ask Levy about the so-called "Ice Prince", but suddenly she exclaimed "Lu-chan we have to get dressed, we have a meeting remember?"

"Oh yeah..."

That was tough luck, I thought as I found the proper attire, It was an emerald green dress up to my knees, paired with black diamond-studded heels. "Levy we're going to a restaurant, right?"

"Yup!" the bluenette said as she was still finding something to wear. She found an orange long-sleeved dress paired with black ballet shoes.

"I wonder what Gray Fullbuster is like? "I murmured to myself, I was too wrapped up in my thoughts until Levy called me.

"Lu-chan don't tell me you like him?" she teasingly asked.

"N-no! I was just curious." I was shuttering, why the hell was I shuttering?

"Well we'll find more about that sooner of later right?"

"I guess you're right about that."

"Lu-chan our ride is here." she said as she was looking down the hotel window.

_time moved on..._

I was stunned by the elegance and class of the restaurant. I was speechless.

"Do you have a reservation miss?" the receptionist asked.

"Yes, I believe that we have scheduled a meeting with Mr. Fullbuster." Levy said.

"Ah yes, right this way please." the man said as a waiter was leading the way. He led us to the V.I.P. room, "Mr. Fullbuster has been waiting for you." the waiter said, as he outstretched his hand.

When the door was slowly opening, I gulped. When the door was fully opened, I was frozen in terror. The man that helped me out with the fangirls, the one who tried to steal a kiss from me (and not to mention my first one too!) and the one and only Ice Prince, was no other than (cue drum roll!) Gray Fullbuster.

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Please review this, I really need thoughts and opinions about it. Arigato! [=_=]


	2. The BitterSweet Experience

Thank's for the helpful tips:

*Le'Mademoiselle Au-lette

and

*applemint45

I really, really want to work with my descriptive prowress.

~chap. 2~

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Lucy and Levy were both blinded by the luxurious and classy atmosphere of the room. The hanging crystal chandelier, the beautiful carpeting, everything was perfect but, when Levy turned to Lucy, her friend was frozen!

"Lu-chan?" the bluenette asked as she waved her hand infront of her frozen-friend.

"Uh?" Lucy was not feeling herself, she wanted to go slap Gray in the face, but in her given condition she was unable to do anything.

"Please sit." Gray said, acting all gentleman-y.

"That bastard..." Lucy mumbled to herself, she was mentally killing Gray right now.

[Levy's POV]

"Arigato, Gray-sama" I politely said as I bowed my head.

"Please, call me Gray, no need to be formal." He said as he flashed a smile, his smile was enchanting, like I was in a trance.

When I looked at Lucy, it looked like she was cursing or something like that, Gray was avoiding glances. I had to do something!

"Do you guys know each other?" I blurted out, just to break this awkward silence.

"No we don't!" the two yelled in unison. Their reaction was priceless, but to no avail the silence kept coming back.

"Perhaps we should start with the interview?" Gray was trying to make the aura less gloomy.

"Uhm, I'll just go to the restroom for a while. When I come back we'll talk about the article." I sighed as I left the room, hoping that those two get along.

[Normal POV]

Ever since Levy left the silence in the room was killing them both. Even though they were seated near each other, it felt like they were miles apart.

Hoping to break the ice Lucy said, "Sooo...you're Gray Fullbuster."

"Y-yeah..." he stuttered. The silence was killing him too...

"...you're Lucy Heartfilia, right?" Gray said as he rubbed the back of his neck, he was always smooth with the ladies, why can't he break the ice?

"Yeah..." Lucy faintly said as she bit her lip.

"Can we forget about what happened earlier?" He asked her in a more serious tone.

"I was out of my mind back there, can you please forgive me?" He added.

This guy was weird, earlier he tried to steal a kiss like some pervert, the next moment he apologizes to her?, but she considered what he did for her, she spoke in a soft sweet tone "It's alright, I guess I wasn't able to thank you for earlier." on her cheeks was a tint of pink, making Gray to move unconsciously near her.

His face was getting closer to hers, Lucy's eyes, on impulse, suddenly closed. This was a good signal for Gray, as he was about to lean forward and kiss her, Levy suddenly opened the door. Levy was a bit shocked in the position Gray and Lucy were in.

Levy's face was red, feeling a bit regretful of what she did "Uh... was I interrupting something?"

"N-no!" Lucy stuttered as she suddenly stood, she was bad at lying, but there was no way to cover up the truth.

"This is a bit awkward, do you mind if we move the interview, say 2 days from now? I'll just tell your editor that I didn't show up because of a business meeting." Gray apologetically said as he was heading towards the door, he paused a bit for a reply.

"Hai...' Levy answered him with a smile. It was better this way to make things a bit easier for them, also the fact that she wanted to interrogate Lucy all night.

When Gray left, Lucy felt a tell-me-your-secret aura around Levy. She was in trouble.

"Kya~ Lu-chan, I didn't know you had a relationship with Gray!" She said as her eyes sparkled in delight.

"I don't have a relationship with him, besides he's not even my type!" Lucy told Levy with a hint of annoyance.

"But that position earlier didn't seem like it." Levy teasingly accused Lucy.

There was no point in telling Levy the truth, Lucy thought, but every time she thought about the accident, she would blush like crazy. Seriously,what was wrong with her?, was fate pulling a prank on her?

"Levy-chan, I'm feeling a bit tired, can we go home now?" Lucy said with tired eyes, Levy couldn't help but to agree, she didn't want to carry her all the way home.

When both ladies were leaving the room, all eyes were on them. "What's the matter with all these people?" Levy thought as she was aiding Lucy.

_time moved on_

When they had finally reached their hotel rooms, they both flopped onto bed, sleeping peacefully, until...

[Lucy's dream]

Lucy was near a tree, she was looking at the field of corn that was spread across the scenery.

"Lucy come here, quickly!" a boy's voice called Lucy. It was the same voice that called her in her last dream.

"Where are you?" Lucy asked impatiently.

"You ask too many questions, come here now!" Lucy heard a rustling in the corn field, instinctively she followed the voice of the boy. When she was nearing the end of the cornfield, there lay a vast field of irises. The boy's voice was heard again.

"Isn't it beautiful?" the boy said sweetly and cheerfully, as if he regained a lost love. (Lucy can't see him though.)

Lucy was to amazed to answer the boy's question, she felt like she has been here before but she doesn't remember coming here. She felt home, as if by impulse she asked the boy, "When will I see you?"

"You'll see me soon, I promised you, remember?" the boy said.

Lucy felt tearing up, the throbbing in her heart was back and she was hopeful that she would see the boy once again.

Dreams weren't meant to last, the last thing Lucy remembered from the dream, was the sweet and loving voice from the boy.

She was woken up by Levy, her eyes full of concern and worry, "Lucy are you alright?"

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Please review this story, I really need thoughts and opinions about it. Arigato! (=.=)


	3. What the Cards Say

~Thread of Fate

~hopelessblues

**Thanks to the people who reviewed this story and I'm really glad you all like it.**

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[Lucy's POV]

As I opened my eyes I saw Levy with eyes full of worry and concern.

My breathing was faster; my heart was beating faster, as if I ran a 2-kilometer marathon. I was lying on the floor, my blankets and pillows were scattered all over the room. What the hell happened? I thought to myself.

My head was throbbing; I was rubbing my forehead hoping to ease the pain. "Levy what happened?"

"I rushed when I heard a loud thud in your room, when I came in; you were lying on the floor unconscious." Levy uttered.

I was too lost in thoughts to hear Levy's explanation, so many questions to be answered. Who was that boy? Why do I always dream of him in the field of irises? Why does his voice seem so gentle and loving? And why does he always mention a promise between me and him? It was all hard for me to process, my head was about to burst, when suddenly Levy invited me to go to a spa with her. "Lu-chan, you might need a break from work, ne?"

It was a moving gesture to see how much she cared for me, it was impossible for me to resist. "Hai~"

"Yay!" Levy flung at me with happiness. "I'm going to meet the publisher again, so meet me at the park at 3'o clock, okay?"

I had a weird feeling of déjà vu, so I rather stay here at the hotel, rather than accidentally bump into 'him'. When Levy left, it was 11' in the morning, so I had 4 hours before our spa date.

I took a cold shower to free myself from my jumbled-up thoughts. While I was in the shower, I began to remember the scent of irises. The scent relaxed my mind and thoughts, calming my body, it was rejuvenating. I walked out of the shower and got dressed. I suddenly heard my phone ring, I tried to find it around my room but, the room was a total mess, my clothes scattered around the room, the messy bed, someone could actually think that this was a man's room. I wished good luck for the cleaning lady. My phone, which I think is lost in the sea of clothes, stopped ringing; maybe it was my ex. "No! No! No!" I shook my head in anger, why am I thinking about him?

_time moved on..._

It was almost quarter to 3'

I wore pale blue sundress and a pair of black flip-flops; I was dressed and ready for a full-fledged 2-hour pampering session with my best friend.

I grabbed my bag as I headed to the park; I noticed that my phone was ringing, again. As I rummaged my bag, I found out that my phone was in my bag the whole time! I began to face palm myself. I looked at my phone, I had 2 unread messages, and both were from Levy. In one message she asked how I was feeling, but the next message was a bit shattering.

'Lu-chan! Please forgive me, but the publisher asked me to do some extra work. I can't go to the spa with you today; I'll just move the appointment for tomorrow morning. Please forgive me'

I sighed as I put my phone away, but I knew how busy Levy was. When I was walking towards the hotel, I bumped into Gray. I was shocked.

I stared at him, he returned my gaze. How the hell does this keep happening?

We were just standing there; we were both filled with the same weird silence at the restaurant the other day. "Where are you going?" I asked him, casually.

I never really thought that he would answer, to my surprise, he did. "I was about to go home." he answered casually, looking at me directly.

"Funny, there are no fangirls..." I mocked him, but was surprised that his crazy fan club wasn't with him.

"I was able to shake them off, how about you, where are you headed?" he returned the question.

"I was going back to the hotel."

"Well since we're both free, how about I treat you to lunch?" he asked with the undeniably straight face, I must admit though, he really knew his way with the ladies. He stretched his arm to me, suggesting that I take the offer.

"Why the hell would I go with you?" I asked in annoyance, he was just too cocky.

He simply answered me in an arrogant and proud tone "This will count as my prize, unless you want to-" I cut him off before he could say another word.

"Okay! Okay! I'll go with you!" I said as I hesitantly grabbed his open hand.

"Let's go to a famous cafe near here." he told me as I noticed a glint in his eyes.

_at the front door of the cafe_

"Konnichiwa! Welcome to Fairy Tail cafe!" a long-white haired woman cheerfully greeted us; she was wearing a typical english-maid outfit (the ones that were long and preservative.) "I'm Mira-chan! Please make your way inside." as we walked inside the cafe, I noticed many cute figurines and more maids serving other people.

I was enthralled with the cheerful atmosphere, I was acting like a child, and suddenly I felt a stare. When I looked my side, Gray was staring at me with eyes filled with fascination. His lips parted, he was about to say something and I knew it was going to be insulting. "You look cute when you act like a child." he told me as he smiled at me lovingly. I was shocked. Has the world gone bonkers? Or was this a side of Gray that I hardly knew? Before I could I make up mind, Gray offered me a table near the window.

"Masters, may I take your order now?"

"What are your specialties?" He asked

"We have our best sellers' couple's parfait and the moe omelette."

Did she just say couple? Do we look like a real couple? What in the world was happening here? But before I could speak up, "We'll have 2 of both, what do you want Lucy?" Gray looked at me with sweet and loving eyes. I was unable to answer; I was too lost in his eyes

"Awe~ it looks like it's your first date!" the maid, Mira-chan, was teasing me. My cheeks were burning and Mira-chan's comments were not helping.

I was embarrassed I couldn't take it anymore but before I could say anything, Gray spoke. "Mira-chan, please do your job and leave me and my girlfriend alone."

His tone was harsh and cold. Mira-chan just walked away, silent.

"Why did you tell them I was your girlfriend?" I whispered to Gray.

"I saw you couldn't take it anymore, so I did a little acting." he said as he took a sip of water.

I was a little thankful to Gray, every time my butt needs saving, he is always there for me.

As we were eating we talked about many things. Like our interests and hobbies.

I found out that he was a real-estate agent; he grew up with a foster mother.

As we ate the last cake, he popped up a topic "The interview is tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah..."

"After that you are leaving?"

"Probably..."

"Where do you live?"

"I don't have a permanent home, since I have to travel around places for my literary works."

"Oh, is that so?"

An awkward silence came after that topic.

As I ate the last bite-size piece of cake, I saw Gray staring at me. "What?"

"You have a little something on your face." he said as he rubbed his own chin to show me where the 'something' was.

"Let me get it for you..." as he pronounced the last word he unexpectedly (not really) placed his hand on my neck, pulling me closer. When his face was only an inch short, he licked the frosting on my chin, making me blush like crazy.

"Sweet, with a hint of strawberry." he grinned. This guy was unbelievable!

When we were about to break apart, I noticed the faint smell of irises. I was curious so I had to ask him "Gray do you keep irises in your house?"

"Nope." his tone was perfectly straight but his eyes were giving him away. He decided to leave first. "Don't worry I'll pay." He left as he waved his hand.

When he was gone, I looked at the time; it was already 6' in the evening. I decided it was also time for me to go.

When I was walking towards the hotel, I came across a street fair. There were several stalls, clowns, street performers, magicians, but there was a certain stall that caught my eye. It was a card reading booth, "Madam Cana" I tried to have a go for it, since I had nothing to loose.

"Come in...I was expecting for you..." a young woman who was wearing a cloak that hid half of her face, was by the table. 'I have been expecting you...' they always say that, I thought as I rolled my eyes. I sat at the couch that was velvet-y.

"Pick 3 cards, and lay them face-down on the table." I did what the lady told me.

"Let us see what lies in your cards..." she said as she flipped the first card.

"You have a very vivid drea- no, a memory that you want to retrieve. The past is also returning to haunt you." she said as she flipped the second card.

"Your thread of fate is pulling you and destined one near you, yet you ignore these signs. The present is the key to your questions."

Before she could flip the card I had an urge to ask, "Thread of fate?"

"The red thread is what connects a person to his or her soul mate. Fate will eventually lead them closer and closer together." she flipped the last card.

"Fate will be testing you. The future will be a bumpy ride, but always remember, follow your heart. Your heart will lead you to happiness."

"Now go, an encounter that may turn tables is waiting for you." the woman smirked.

She pushed me out of the tent. When I was about to turn around, the tent was gone. I asked some people about the tent, but no one knew what I was talking about.

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_I'll decode what Cana said:_

_*Someone from Lucy's past will appear in the next chapter._

_*Lucy will discover something about Gray that will answer all her questions._

_*There will be a decision that Lucy has to make, before she could have her happily ever after._

**I'll update as soon as I can! *bow* **


	4. The Secrets Start to Unfold, Part 1

~Thread of Fate

~hopelessblues

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**Gyahhhhh! I finally released this chapter! Sorry about the delay though, I haven't been feeling well and I wrote a one-shot during that time! Please forgive me!**

**Anyways thanks for the awesome reviews from the previous chapters oshirajinda, illa95, SevenGemsofLove, Hachibukai and Fullbuster1597. *bows***

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Lucy was asking random people on the street about 'Madam Cana' or about a card reading booth around here. To her dismay, no one knew what Lucy talked about.

She was about to go home when she saw a clown handing out balloons. She directly approached the clown and asked, "Hey Mister, do you know any card reading booths or a 'Madam Cana' around here?"

"Madam Cana you say? She left this city and the card reading business a very long time ago. We haven't heard from her ever since." The clown answered Lucy politely, even though he was busy handing out balloons to children.

"Really?" Lucy was in shock, was it all an illusion? If so, why her? "Arigato clown-san." She added. Lucy wanted to head home; she wanted to forget this whole day.

_Fate won't let her forget it though._

_time moved on…_

Lucy was back at the hotel; suddenly Levy threw herself at Lucy.

"Lu-chan!" Levy was hugging Lucy tightly.

"Levy, what on earth did you do?" Lucy's tone started to worry about her friend's weird actions.

"Don't worry about it Lu-chan, something good happened to me today." Levy's eyes were sparkling.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"I won 2 coupons, here look!" Levy was getting all hyper; she was literary rubbed the coupons on Lucy's face.

Lucy looked closer at the coupons examining them carefully. 'This coupon allows the user to get free all you can eat strawberry shortcakes, available for dine-in only. This coupon is courtesy of Fairy Tail Café!'

"Fairy Tail Café?" Lucy was shocked; this was the café that she and Gray went to!

Lucy suddenly remembered her 'date' with Gray. "Uh, Levy I think I'll pass." Lucy looked like she was going to pass out. She was busy recalling the lick-the-frosting-of-your-face trick that Gray pulled on her.

"Plleeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeee Lu-chan I don't have anyone to go with!" Levy was pleading Lucy with the puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'll go with you." Lucy sweat dropped, she fell for the old puppy dog look.

_time moved on..._

"I can't believe that a cafe would still be open at this hour." Lucy's sweat dropped.

"I guess they're still open because of the street fair." Levy looked around; she was baffled by the number of people around the street.

Sure, there were many people on the street, but someone caught her eye, it was a man with dull orange hair and was wearing the same jacket that the man who carried Lucy wore, she observed him intensely, he also had the same physique as the man. The man caught her gaze.

Levy turned to Lucy who was looking at the posters, "Lucy! The man that carried you he..." Levy was tugging Lucy, but when Lucy looked at the direction Levy was pointing at, the man was gone.

"Levy maybe it's just your imagination, let's just go inside." Lucy suggested.

"Sure..." Levy couldn't take her eyes off the direction of the man.

When they entered the cafe a man approached them, he was a pink-haired dude. He was in a waiter-like outfit. (_The one they wore on a mission, 8island, if my memory serves me right_)

"I'm Natsu by the way; I'll lead the way to your table." Natsu led us to a table by the window. It was the same table that Lucy and Gray had their 'date' on.

Lucy was in complete disbelief! How could this all happen? Suddenly, 'Madam Cana's' words popped up her head. (_Convenient much?_)

_"Your thread of fate is pulling you and destined one near you, yet you ignore these signs..."_

Were these really the signs that fate was giving her? No, it couldn't be, if it was why did fate prevent them from kissing each other? She recalled all the moments where Gray tried to kiss her, she blushed. Wait, was she falling in love with that arrogant flirt? She was battling with her own thoughts.

"Lu-chan, are you alright?" Levy patted Lucy on the back. Lucy was a bit shocked and relieved somehow, without Levy she would have been dozing off to lalaland.

"Sorry about that, I guess I was thinking about it a little too much." Lucy said, as she seated herself.

"I want to use these coupons, please" Levy handed the coupons to Natsu.

"Okay strawberry shortcakes coming right up!" Natsu yelled he went to the kitchen to fetch their order.

Levy looked at Lucy in the eye "Thinking about what Lu-chan?" she asked, curious to know what was going on in her friend's mind.

"Uh, nothing! Nothing at all!" Lucy started to blush.

"Lu-chan, are you hiding something?"

"No, nothing at all!" Lucy was terrible at lying, Levy knew that. It was a 'thread _through a very small needle hole'_ chance of Lucy lying to her. Levy knew her best friend, maybe a little _too_ much. Levy was able to read the actions of Lucy.

Levy finally spoke after she intensely examined Lucy, "You went out with Fullbuster, didn't you?" She smiled slyly at Lucy, who had her jaw dropped.

"..." Lucy was unable to speak; did her actions give her away THAT much? Or is it because Levy knows more than Lucy knows herself? Lucy just blushed even more, she was unable to speak.

"I knew it!" Levy exclaimed, but before she could say anything more, she was cut off by Natsu.

"Miss is your friend alright?" he asked, he leaned in closer to Lucy, who was still frozen. His face was getting closer, when Lucy suddenly snapped out of it. Seeing the man's face close too close to her's, she suddenly punched Natsu on the face, SPOT-ON.

The whole café's attention was completely directed towards Lucy.

"Sir, are you alright?" Levy helped poor Natsu who was lying on the ground.

"That was awesome!" a customer yelled. When the customers heard this, they applauded. Other customers texted other people to come to Fairy Tail Café. Lucy sweat dropped, _what kind of people are they_? She asked herself.

The other maids and butlers looked at each other with confusion. _They didn't plan a show, did they?_

Other butlers helped Natsu get back to his feet.

"Wow, you really punch hard." Natsu put his hand on Lucy's shoulder. Lucy shuddered when she saw blood drip from Natsu's forehead.

"Are you alright?" Lucy screeched. Natsu just smiled, "Yeah I'm alright, and my name is Natsu by the way, Natsu Dragneel." Natsu extended his arm to Lucy; Lucy in return shook his hand.

_time moved on..._

Natsu sat along with Lucy and Levy as they were eating their free strawberry shortcake.

"I'm so sorry about the punch." Lucy apologized.

"Don't worry about it. It actually made our sales grow." Natsu chuckled.

"Oh yeah, I have to ask you something Lucy, do you know anyone named Gray Fullbuster?" Natsu asked Lucy.

"Yeah, we came here to write an article about him." She answered.

"Are you sure about that?" Natsu asked, raising a brow at Lucy.

"Why?" Lucy asked.

"Mirajane saw you and was shocked when she saw Gray bring a girl to the cafe. She said you were pretty, you weren't a slut like the other girls, and you were sweet and very lady-like. You and Gray made a great couple. "

Levy's eyes sparkled at Lucy's direction, hearing the words 'couple' with Lucy and Gray's names made her dream about Lucy's future.

Lucy blushed at Mirajane's comment about her. "What is so special about me anyway, it's not like he doesn't have any girlfriends, right?" Lucy pouted, eating a big piece of cake.

Natsu stared at Lucy for a while, pausing before he spoke, "Gray doesn't have a girlfriend, and in fact he hasn't dated anyone yet. He said he was still waiting for that _special someone._"

_Special someone? That doesn't sound like Gray._ Lucy thought.

"You know him?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, he is the co-owner of this café." Natsu answered, taking a bite of a sandwich. (_Where did he get this?_). Lucy was a bit shocked, but Levy interrupted their little chat.

Levy thought that they should go home now, since it was getting late. The street fair was over and the street was empty. Natsu insisted that he should accompany them; it was dangerous to wander in the streets, especially for a girl.

Lucy and Levy agreed, it wouldn't hurt if they were a bit careful, right?

As they left the café, Lucy returned to their previous conversation.

"I thought he was a real-estate agent?" Lucy questioned Natsu.

"He is, but he co-founded this business along with Makarov Dreyar." Levy answered Lucy's question.

"He isn't from here though; he said he came from a town called Fiore." Natsu added.

"Fiore? The ones with really rich families?"

"Yeah, he was brought up by a woman named Ur, if I'm not mistaken. He also has 2 siblings. Ultear, his older sister and Lyon, his younger brother." Natsu continued to blurt out information about Gray, but Lucy was in deep thought about where he came from.

"Fiore, I feel like I've seen him there before."

Lucy's head throbbed, she remembered the boy from her dreams. _Is he the boy?_ Lucy thought. Suddenly, Lucy felt someone's presence and a faint smell of irises. She felt relaxed and calm when she smelled irises, but this time it gave her the creeps.

Natsu noticed Lucy, she was uncomfortable, and Levy also noticed this.

Natsu's eyes were wandering about, like a dog, searching and carefully observing the perimeter. "Lucy is everything alright?" Natsu asked in a very loud voice. Lucy jolted up, a bit.

After a while Lucy felt a little relieved noticing that whoever was following them was gone.

When they reached the hotel, Natsu parted with the two girls. Lucy and Levy waved farewell to Natsu.

When Natsu was out in the streets, he noticed the presence of someone. "Come out already, I already know where you are."

"We meet again, Natsu." A guy with blonde hair and killer looks came out of his hiding spot, holding an iris on his hand.

"Etch, what do you want Hibiki?" Natsu asked.

"Oh nothing, I just want Lucy Heartfilia back." Hibiki's angel-like face slowly turned into a scowl. He crushed the iris on his hand, smirking.

* * *

**There you have it folks! Hibiki will be playing as the evil ex-boyfriend of Lucy.**

**Loki will also appear in the next chapter. The release may be delayed, because of me studying for a back-to-school test. It sucks, trust me. I hate it, I hate it!**


	5. The Secrets Start to Unfold, Part 2

~Thread of Fate

~hopelessblues

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fairy tail and never will. **٩(×̯×)۶**

I had trouble writing this chapter, thanks Joy-chan for the tips! Now I will sit in a corner while you enjoy this story.  
**ಠ_ಠ .**

* * *

"Etch, what do you want Hibiki?" Natsu asked.

"Oh nothing, I just want Lucy Heartfilia back." Hibiki's angel-like face slowly turned into a scowl. He crushed the iris on his hand, smirking.

"How do you intend to do that? She is already in love with Gray, yet she is completely oblivious about her feelings." Natsu turned his back on Hibiki, one hand in his pocket. Natsu raised his free hand, gesturing goodbye.

Hibiki was left alone in the street, he was still smirking. "She doesn't know her own feelings…" Hibiki chuckled. "Then I'll just make you forget about it before you even notice." He smirked, leaving the crushed iris on the street.

After Hibiki left the scene, a man with dull orange hair (the one Levy saw earlier.) picked up the iris. "You can never make her forget him that easily." The man kept the iris in his jacket, silently walking away.

_time moved on…_

"What time is it?" Lucy stretched her body on the bed. Her whole body ached. She stared at the clock, "It's already 12' in the afternoon?" On that note, Levy barged in Lucy's room.

"Lu-chan get dressed, we have a spa appointment, remember?" Levy dragged Lucy out of bed. Lucy lightly opposed of this, yet she didn't want to disappoint Levy.

Lucy quickly brushed her teeth, took a bath, dressed up in an easy-to-take-off sundress, and fixed her hair and make-up, all in record time.

'_That was faster than expected_.' Levy smiled to herself.

"Let's go Levy!" Lucy grinned widely; it seemed that all her troubles were gone.

_time moved on…_

It was 4'o clock in the afternoon.

"That was great! I really feel relaxed now!" Lucy said, as she placed her arms behind her back.

"The massage was great!" Levy stretching her small body (_or petite, as she calls it._)

"We also have to finish the interview with Gray." She added.

Lucy, clearly uncomfortable with the topic, decided to ignore it.

They went back to the hotel and decided to get dressed. It was now a quarter to 5.

They went to the same restaurant and waited at the reception for a while, however, they were approached by a man with brownish blonde hair.

"Ladies?" the man with brownish blonde spoke to them in a very seductive voice.

_meanwhile…_

"Hibiki's back?" a certain raven-haired man asked. He was seated on a black leather sofa, drinking vodka.

"Yeah, apparently he's gonna take Lucy back with him." a man with dull orange hair seated himself, "I suggest you make your move, lover boy." He smirked.

"What do you suggest I do?" Gray asked, cupping his chin with his hand.

"I still remember your promise with her as a kid." The man laughed mockingly.

Gray glared at the man, "Don't you dare mention it."

The man said the smirk never faded on his face, even with Gray glaring at him. "Hey, I was part of that promise too." He slowly took out the crushed iris from his jacket; the man carefully placed it on the table.

Gray stared at the iris for a moment; he was hesitant before he spoke. "Loki, are you suggesting that I should tell her the truth?"

"Who knows?" Loki stood up and headed for the door. He waved

Gray let out a sigh, he leaned back. He stared at the ceiling, remembering his childhood days.

* * *

[Flashback]

They were always together since their parents were always busy. One day they decided to go to a field above the steep hill.

"Lucy, let's go!" A young Loki said, as he climbed up the steep hill.

"You're too slow." A young Gray teased and helped Young Lucy at the same time.

"Geez, I'm not slow! You guys are just too fast." She pouted; the young girl had trouble climbing the steep hill

"Save your whining for later, we're almost there."

The 3 children were amazed at what they saw; a majestic field of irises of different colors were there. They played and picked irises there, it was their secret escape from reality. They would always be together; they would always provide each other company to rid themselves of the dark hole called _'loneliness'_.

But one day Lucy's father decided to move to a different town. Gray and Loki were shocked, but before they left, Lucy ran away. The butlers and maids of the Heartfilia family searched hi and low for Lucy, but failed to locate her. Gray and Loki had an idea of where Lucy was so; they went to their secret hiding place.

Lucy was there, crying beneath a tree. Gray went near her and said, "Are you an idiot? Do you know how worried we were? You should know better!"

Lucy flinched at Gray's tone, but she stopped crying. Loki sighed, "Gray, you _really_ know how to treat a girl right." He said sarcastically. Gray paused for a moment, hi picked up a random colored iris. "Lucy, do you know what an iris means?"

The little girl just shook her head.

"It means 'we all have a piece of heaven with us'." Gray said as he placed the iris behind her ear.

"What that does mean?" Lucy asked a bit confused.

"It means you'll always have a part of us inside your heart and that we will always be together." Loki answered with a grin on his face.

Lucy cried, not with sadness but with joy. "You'll take me away when we grow up?"

She held her two pinkie fingers at Gray and Loki.

Both boys smiled, "Of course we will!" they said in unison.

They all decided to go back. Her father hugged her tightly; he was so worried for her. As the carriage left, Lucy looked out the window and waved goodbye to Gray and Loki.

* * *

Gray was too busy remembering the past that he almost lost track of time. He looked at the watch and saw it was already 5' in the evening. "Crap!" Gray got dressed very quickly and got out of his mansion. He got in one of his motorized carriage and told the horseman to "Go as fast as you can, break traffic laws if necessary."

The horseman spoke in a very deep voice, "Hold on for your life." He grinned. Gray gulped, he leaned back and held onto the couch as tight as he could.

* * *

This chapter explains why Gray and Loki smell like irises and why the young Gray haunts her dreams and talks about promises. (_even if Lucy doesn't know yet._)

**~lalalala ** The next chapter will probably be released next week or so.


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